Erin, you probably missed it because you were concentrating so hard on finding out what our letters mean. No matter the sorority, I think in the backs of our minds, we're all thinking, "Just tell me what the letters stand for!"

Hmm, looks like it's time for me to call my big or someone...I should have paid better attention during Initiation!

It wasn't that I was concentrating on what our letters mean.... it was the total lack of sleep from the night before and worry I was gonna fall down from lack of sleep!

TG

I remember hearing the meaning of IC during initiation Erin...so I know you've heard it! :D I love our arrows...they are such a unique sorority mascot! :)

Jess

I swear to heaven, y'all, after you've watched about 40 women being individually initiated, the meaning will forever be burned into your brain. So will every other word. It will echo in your dreams for many nights!

I just skipped to the end of this thread. I didint feel comfortable reading this. I know none of us would post things we shouldnt, but I dont like even being near the subject. Just makes me uncomfortable. I just dont feel right reading someones posted thoughts on what they were thinking going through initiation. I think those are private things, best shared only with other members of your bond.

but thats just me...

I feel really bad after reading this and every one trying to figure out the meaning of teh arrow and I.C. If some one asked what the meaning of a Kappa tradition, ritual or symbol was i would not tell them...nor should we expect a Pi Phi to tell us the meaning of their secrets..they have been kept a secret for 135 yrs (i believe that is right)..so lets let the Pi Phi secrets stay with those who know them.

Thanks Beth and lifesaver for understanding that some things are just part of our secrets and should only be known by other Pi Phis! I'm sure that Alpha Phi Omega has secrets that should only be known by other Alpha Phi Omegas so please respect us for not sharing! :)

Jess

It just started out b/c JayBee thought that I.C. Sororis was something that applied to all sororities, he had no idea it was a secret thing. I know everyone who reads this realizes that we're not going to spill, and we all understand the importance of fraternal secrecy. The last page and a half have consisted of Pi Phis saying "I know what it means" or "Darn, I wish I knew what it meant."

Re: Re: I.C. Sorosis
 

My apologies for opening the can of words, I didn't realize that it was secret and revealed only during initiation. :o

i don't think sororitas is a latin word. the word soror means "sister" in latin, as frater means "brother". (mater is mom and pater is dad for those of you who are dying to know!!) (yes, i'm a latin geek and almost a major in college!)

sororitas is not even a case in latin. soror, however, is a latin word. ;)

Thanks
 

Actually I was thinking that Sororis may have been an early term for women's organization or something. Thanks for letting me know that "Frater" means brother. But now another curious thing comes into play.

Questions:

1.) Since "Frater" means brother, does any Women's Fraternity call each other brothers?

2.) Did any Woman's Fraternity, use to be a Traditional mens Fraternity that evently changed?

Re: Thanks
 

1. No.

2. No.

My information came from Mirriam Webster dictionary.

Main Entry: so·ror·i·ty
Pronunciation: s&-'ror-&-tE, -'rär-
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -ties
Etymology: Medieval Latin sororitas sisterhood, from Latin soror sister
Date: 1900
: a club of women; specifically : a women's student organization (as at a college) that is formed chiefly for social purposes and has a name consisting of Greek letters

So if I am flawed... blame the dictionary!

TG

Re: Thanks
 

Actually I was thinking that Sororis may have been an early term for women's organization or something. Thanks for letting me know that "Frater" means brother. But now another curious thing comes into play.

Questions:

1.) Since "Frater" means brother, does any Women's Fraternity call each other brothers?

2.) Did any Woman's Fraternity, use to be a Traditional mens Fraternity that evently changed?

Ok, I'll bite.....
1) Fraternity comes from the Greek word "phratria", meaning people holding a common interest. So, in that sense, the ladies were taking it from the Greek "Phratria", rather than the Latin "frater" for brother. Also, remember, we are GREEK LETTER ORGS, not ROMAN letter orgs or LATIN letter orgs!

Women's Fraternity NEVER meant "brotherhood". It always meant "people holding a common interest. I suppose if the women had spelt it "phraternity", it would help to clear up the confusion, but it's always been spelled with "f".

Here's a blurb from my National:
Delta Gamma Fraternity is the correct name of the organization. Why isn't Delta Gamma called a sorority officially? At the time of the founding of most of the older women's fraternities, the Greek derivative phratres of phratria, meaning tribes or groups of people with similar interests and backgrounds, was the basis for the title, fraternity. No doubt, because the women's organizations were modeled in many ways after the older men's groups, the women simply used the title fraternity, too.

2). I don't think any NPC orgs that are called "sorority" ever were a fraternity first and then changed their name.
For example, these are the NPC's called "sorority" (that I can think of):
Gamma Phi Beta Sorority
Delta Zeta Sorority
Alpha Delta Pi Sorority
Sigma Kappa Sorority
Kappa Delta Sorority
Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority

I don't believe that any of them were TheirName Fraternity, and then changed...I think they were all a TheirName Sorority from the beginning, or at least TheirName Society, and then maybe adopted the Sorority part of the name later...I guess you would have to ask one of them? Delta Gamma was a Fraternity from the beginning.